Ice-making apparatus.



No. 680,087. Patented Aug. 6, 190|. E. J. ULLRICH.

ICE MAKING APPARATUS.

(Application led Feb. 16, 1901.)

(No Mardel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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nu. 680,1287. Patented Aug. 6, 190|. E. J. uLLmcH.

ICE MAKING APPARATUS.

2 sheets-sheet (Application led Feb. 16, 1901.)

(No Model.)

' system.

UNITED STATES bPATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR J. ULLRICH, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO.

ICE-MAKING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,087, dated August6, 19.01.

Application filed February 16, 1901. Serial No. 47,575. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, EDGAR J. ULLnIoH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Colorado Springs, in the county of El Paso and State ofColorado, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ice-MakingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to improvementsin the construction of apparatus foruse in the manufacture of ice by Whatis known as the can In carrying outthis system of icemanutacture cans containing the water to be frozen areusually immersed in tanks containing a refrigerating liquid, usuallybrine, the low temperature of the refrigerating liquid being maintainedby refrigerating-coils in a common manner.

My present invention deals more especially with apparatus for deaeratingthe water to be frozen in the cans with a view to eliminating theimpurities therein and producing clear ice.

In Letters Patent of the United States No. 667,897, granted to me the12th day of February, 1901, I have shown, described, and claimed oneform of apparatus for deaerating water in ice-manufacture wherein thecompressed air or gas enters the bottom of the can through a pipeconnected wit-h the can and removable therewith from the brinetank.

My present object is more especially to provide other improved anddesirable means for accomplishing the same purpose, but withoutv havingthe air or gas conducting pipes upon the cans and removable therewith.

In the drawings, Figure l is a broken sectional viewv of a brine-tankand its refrigerating-eoils, showing one can therein removably coupledat its lower end to an air or gas supplier in accordance with my presentinvention Fig. 2, an enlarged broken sectional view of the brine-tank,air or gas supply pipe below the tank, and can in place, showing apreferred construction of coupling between the can and tne air or gassupply pipe; Fig. 3, a broken sectional view of the upper end portion ofone side of the can and adjacent refrigerating-coil and can-guidingmeans; Fig. 4, a view of the same character as Fig. 3 and showing meansfor locking a can down in the brine-tank; Fig. 5, a view the same asFig. 4 and illustrating means for unlocking vand raising the can out ofthe brine-tank; Fig. 6, a broken view showing a form of can engaging,unlocking, and raising device; Fig. 7, a view ot the same character asFig. 2 and illustrating a construction wherein the air or gas supplypipe is within instead of below 'the brine-tank; and Fig. 8, a brokensection ot' the lower end ot' the can at the inlet, showing a removableplug or cork in place.

A is the base of a brine-tank or can-retrigerating receptacle, which maybe of any desired construction, and B B series of refrigerating-coils,between which the refrigeratingcans C are placed when im mersing them inthe brine contained in the tank. The spaces between the coils formlongitudinally-extending pockets in which a series of cans may be placedside by side. Below the basel A of the brine tank, in the constructionshown in Figs. 1 and 2, is an air-supply pipe D. The pipe D may be oneof a series ot' such pipes extending from a main pipe L, communicatingwith an air or gas compressor. (Not shown.) Centrally beneath thelocation of each can C the pipes D are provided with short verticaltubes or branch pipes E, each pro-v vided with an interposed valve F,which may be a regulating as well as a check valve. That part of thepipe E above the valve F may be thickened or provided with a lining a,if desired, to produce a comparatively small air-outlet channel b. -Thepipe E extends through an opening c in the base of the tank, the openingbeing surrounded on the upper side of the base with a ring orflangepiece cl, which may be frusto-conical in shape and which should besecurely fastened to the base A in some such manner as shown. Thecentral part of the ring or ange CZ ts watertight around the pipe E. Inthe base plate e of each can, preferably at the center, is an openingf,in which is itted and fastened a short downwardly-extending pipe or tubeg. The tube g may be formed, as shown in Fig. 2, with a flange h belowthe base e and a fastening-nute' screwed upon the upper end ofthe pipeto clamp the surface of the base e around the opening fand produce aWater-tight joint. A rubber gasket k may be interposed between the angeh and the base e and a similar gasket may be provided between the ring dIOO and the Abase A. About the pipe Eis a down` wardly-extending tubularwall Z, forming with the tube or wall g an annular chamber to receiveand hold a rubber gasket G, which at its lower end is daring to fitclosely the surface of the frusto-conical seat formed by the flange d.It will be understood that the flange d and pipe E a are virtually fixedparts of the tankbase A, while the tubes g l, with the gasket G, arefixtures of the can C and removable therewith.

Then the can C is removed from the tank, the brine contained in the tankmay enter the channel b, but will be checked by the valve F againstflowing into the pipe D. It will be understood that between each pipe Dand the air or gas main a shut-off valve M should be located. into thetank they should be guided so that their tubes g will naturally passover the pipes E. For this purpose I provide guides H H, which may belengths of channel-iron fastened to the coils B at opposite sides ofeach can. Near the upper and lower ends of each can and, if desired, ata point betweensaid ends I provide fixed guide-lugs m m in vertical lineat about midway between opposite sides thereof. As the canis loweredinto position the guide-lugs m pass along the channels of the guidesI-I, which operate to direct the tube g over the end of the pipe E.VBefore the can is lowered into the tank the tube g is plugged,preferably by means of a cork cc, which may be long enough, as shown bydotted lines in Fig. 2, to fit the tube throughout the fulllengththereof and tight enough to prevent water from passing through the tubein either direction. Itis usual to pass the can, with the cork or plugin place at its lowermost guidelugs m, into the tops of thechannel-guides and there let the can oat. The water to be frozen is thenpoured into the can, and as the can fills it sinks down into the brine.Thus there is no material pressure againstthe cork in either direction.lVhen the can is filled to the desired level, it is pressed down,causing its tube g to pass over the pipe E and causing the latter, whilethe can isdescending, to force the plug or cork a; upward into the can.Before pressing the can down the compressed air or gas may be turnedinto the pipe D and passed through the valve F to force out any brinethat may be in the pipe E. This airblast blowing against the under sideof the cork while the can is descending forces the brine outward fromthe pipe E until the gasket G seats upon the surface of the seat d. Thepipe E should be of a length to reach to the end of the tube g when thecan is seated, and the tube g should be of a length to seat, or nearlyseat, upon the. upper end of the fiange d. The pipe E should fit closelythe tube g, and the lower surface of the gasket G should fit in the sameway the flange d. Thus the parts form a Water-tight readily-separablecoupling between the can4 and the air or gas supply pipe. It isdesirable to lock the can As the cans are inserted down when in place.At opposite's'ides of the upper end portion of the can I provideopenings n, which are a trifle to one side of the guide-lugs m, and, onthe guides I'I, I provide spring-catches p in the path of the openingsn, at opposite sides of the can, whereby when the can is pressed downth`e catches p spring into the openings n and lock the can firmly inplace.

While the water in the can is subjected to the freezing influence of thebrine, air under desired pressure and in a more or less fine jetisforced upward through the channel?) to agitate the water, freethecontained air, and carry the impurities of the water in the can Cupward to the upper central portion ofthe can. When the freezing iscompleted, all impurities will be concentrated in a pocket in the uppercentral part ofthe cake of ice and may be readily removed vto leave thecake clear and pure. When the freezing operation is completed and it isdesired to remove the can, a device I may be employed, the same beingsuspended from a trolley and raised and lowered by means of chains andpulleys or oth'- erwise. The device I is provided at one or oppositeends with spring-catches q, which, as the device is pressed down uponthe can, are sprunginward by the sides of the can until they reach theopenings n. vThey then spring outward ywith su fticient force to thrustlthe spring-catches@ outward out of engagement with the openings 'n andthemselves engage the openings, whereby as the device I is raised itwill draw the can upward out of the brine.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 the pipe D is above or upon the baseA and should in practice be well insulated from the brine to prevent thefreezing of any moisture therein. The seat d extends from the base A toa point some distance above the upper side of the pipe D, which ispreferably formed to house the valve F. In other respects the mainfeatures shown in Fig. '7 are substantially the same as those beforedescribed. 1

My improved construction of can and readily-separable coupling membersmay also be employed by dispensing with the valve F in the manufactureof can-ice by the known process of causing water to be moved in and outof thebase of the can to agitate the body of freezing-water in the can.In such a case the duid-pressure passing through the channel a, would bewater instead of air or gas.

While I have shown my improvements in the form I now prefer to providethem, they may be changed in the matter of details without departingfrom the spirit of my invention as defined. by the claims.

A material part of my invention lies in providing an ice-making canwhich may be readily inserted into the brine-tank or equivalentcan-refrigerating receptacle and readily'removed therefrom when thefreezing operation is accomplished, and which when thus inserted isbrought into communication by IOO IIO

means of coupling members with an aeriform fluid-supply for the purposeset forth. The coupling members should, naturally, when in contactproduce a sufficiently tight joint, and

vthey should be so constructed that the can may be easily separated fromsaid supplier and removed when filled or partly filled with ice. Forthis purpose the coupling members should be unprovided with anyconnecting means which would materially interfere with their beingreadily separable when it is desired to remove the can and its containedblock of ice from the refrigerating receptacle.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an ice-making apparatus, the combination with a can-refrigeratingreceptacle of an ice-making can adapted to be inserted into saidreceptacle and to be removed therefrom when lled'with ice and having anopening in its lower end portion, a relatively stationary fluid-pressuresupplier having an outletopening toward the base of said receptacle, andreadily-separable interfitting coupling members about said can andsupplier open'- ings. 2. In an ice-making apparatus, the combinationwith a can-refrigerating receptacle of an ice-making can adapted to beinserted into said receptacle and removed therefrom when filled withice, and having an air or gas inlet opening in its base, a relativelystationary compressed air or gas supplier adjacent to the lower part ofthe receptacle having an outletopening below the base of the can, andreadily-separable interfitting coupling members about said can andsupplier openings.

3. In an ice-makingapparatus, the combination with a can-refrigeratngreceptacle of an ice-making can adapted to be inserted into saidreceptacle and removed therefrom when lled with ice, and having an airor gas inlet openingin its lower end portion, a relatively stationaryair or gas supply pipe adjacent to the lower part of the receptacle andhaving an outlet-openin g provided with a check-valve near the base ofthe can, and readily-separable intertting coupling members about saidcan and supplier openings.

4. In an ice-making apparatus, the combination with a can-refrigeratingreceptacle of an ice-makingcan adapted to be inserted into saidreceptacle and removed therefrom when filled with ice, and having aHuid-pressure inlet-opening at its lower end portion, a relativelystationary uid-pressure supplier adjacent to the lower part of thereceptacle and having an outlet-opening near the base of the can, andreadily-separable insulated interitting coupling members between saidcan and supplier.

5. In an ice-making apparatus, the combination with a can-refrigeratingreceptacle of an ice-making can adapted to be inserted into saidreceptacle and having an opening in its lower end portion, a iiuidpressure supplier having an outlet-opening nearthe base of saidreceptacle, separable interfitting coupling members secured respectivelyto the said supplier and can openings, and guides in said receptaclesfor directing the coupling members into engagement when the can isinserted into place.

6. In an ice-making apparatus, the combination with a can-refrgcratingreceptacle of an ice-making can adapted to be inserted into saidreceptacle and removed therefrom when lled with ice and having anopening in its lower end portion, a fluid-pressure supplier having anoutlet-opening toward the base of said receptacle,readily-separableintertting coupling members about said can and supplieropenings, and means for locking down the can when said members arecoupled together.

7. In an ice-making apparatus, the combination with a can-refrigeratingreceptacle, of an ice-making can adapted to be inserted into saidreceptacle and having an opening in its lower end portion, afluid-pressure supplier having an outlet-opening toward the base of saidreceptacle, separable interlitting coupling members about said can andsupplier openings, automatic locking means for engaging said can andholding it down when the said members are coupled together, and meansfor engaging, automatically unlocking and raising said can.

S. In an ice-making apparatus, the combination with a can-refrigeratingreceptacle of a fluid-pressure supplier extending adjacent to the baseof the receptacle, a tube projecting vertically from said supplier,within the receptacle, a removable ice-making can having an opening inits base, and a downwardextending tube around said opening and carriedby the can, said tubes telescoping together when the can is placed inposition, substantially as described.

9. In an ice-making apparatus, the combination with a can-refrigeratingreceptacle, of a fluid-pressure supplier extending adjacent to the baseof the receptacle, an air or gas conducting tube projecting from saidsupplier, within the receptacle, a seating-sur- IOO IIO

face around said tube, a removable ice-making can having an opening inits base, a tube fastened to the can at said opening adapted to receivesaid conducting-tube, a seatingface around said conduit and carried bythe can, said seating-faces operating, when the can is placed inposition, to produce an approximately water-tight joint between thesupplier andtcan. 10. In an ice-making apparatus, the combination with acan-refrigerating receptacle, of a fluid-pressure supplier extendingadjacent to the base of the receptacle, an air or gas tube projectingvertically from said supplier, within the receptacle, a seating-surfaceat the tube in the receptacle, a removable icemaking can having anopening in its base, a downward extending tube, a seating face aroundsaid opening and carried by the can, said tubes and seating-facesoperating, when the can is placed in position, to produce anapproximately water-tight coupling between the supplier and can.

11. In an ice-making apparatus, the combination with a can-refrigeratingreceptacle, of a compressed air or gas supplier extending adjacent tothe base of the receptacle, a valved air or gas tube projectingvertically from said supplier, within the receptacle, a removableice-making can having an opening in its base, a seating-face at saidopening in the can, said valved tube and seating-faces operating asreadily-separable coupling members to produce an approximatelyWater-tight joint between the supplier and can when the can is placed inposition.

12. In an ice-making apparatus, the combination with a can-refrigeratingreceptacle of a fluid-pressure supplier extending adjacent to the baseof the receptacle, a tube projecting vertically from said supplier,within the receptacle, a seating face about the tube Within thereceptacle, a removable ice-making can having an opening in its base, adownward extending tube around said opening and carried by the can, agasket forming a seating-face around said tube carried by the can,said'tubes and seating-faces operating, when the can -is placed inposition, to produce an approximately water-tight joint between thesupplier and can.

13. In an ice-making apparatus, the combination with a can-refrigeratingreceptacle, of an ice-making can movable into and out of saidreceptacle, a compressed air or gas supplier terminating at itsdischarge end at an opening in the lower part of the can, and anadjustable spring-actuated check and pressure-reducing valve in thedischarge end portion of said supplier.

14. In an ice-making apparatus, thecombination with a can-refrigeratingreceptacle, of an ice-making can movable into and out of said receptacleand having an opening in its same, a fluid-pressure supplier havinganout-l let-opening near the base of said receptacle,

and separable intertting coupling members between said can and supplieropenings.

15. In an ice-making apparatus, the combination with a can-refrigeratingreceptacle of an ice-making can movable into and out of said receptacleand having an opening in its lower end portion, a removable plug in saidopening, a fluid-pressure supplier having an outlet-openingnear the baseof said receptacle, separable intertting coupling members between saidcan and supplier openings, and means operating as the coupling membersare moved into engagement to discharge said plug from the opening in thecan.

16. In an ice-making apparatus, the combination with a can-refrigeratingreceptacle, of

an ice-making lcan movable into'and out of` said receptacle and havingan opening in its lower end portion, a removable plug in said openingoperating when in place to close the same and of less specific gravitythan Water, a fluid-pressure supplier having an outletpi pe opening nearthe base'of said receptacle, and separable interitting coupling membersabont said can and pipe openings.

17. In an ice-making apparatus, the combination with a can-refrigeratingreceptacle, of

va duid-pressure supplier extending adjacent to the base of thereceptacle, an air or gas tube projecting vertically from said supplier,within the receptacle, a removable ice-mak'- ing can having an extendedopening in its base, and a removable plug in said can-opening, said tubeoperating, when the can is placed in position, to enter saidcan-opening, force out the plug and produce an approximately water-tightcoupling between the su pplier and theV can.

EDGAR J. ULLRIOH. In presence of- J. H. LEE, ALBERT D. BACCI.

